Gumweed

Sow indoors (in pots or trays) anytime from early spring, or outdoors (in pots, trays or direct) once the soil has warmed up. Lightly cover with soil, tamp well and keep moist until germination, which usually takes around a week but can take longer if it is cold.

Being a biennial, you can also get good results sowing gumweed in late Summer, which is when the seed naturally matures and falls from the plant. Summer-sown gumweed usually germinates quickly and results in earlier flowering the following year.

Transplant into individual pots once the seedlings have a few true leaves, and plant out after the risk of frost has passed. In the first year of growth the plants don’t require much space, but when they start flowering in the second year they can spread quite wide, so we recommend giving a spacing of at least 50cm between plants.

Gumweed contains acrid-bitter tasting secondary metabolites that relax the respiratory system. This warming and opening effect eases constriction especially when associated with nervousness. The diterpenes, including grindelic acid, and flavonoids have an antispasmodic action that appears to contribute to slowing the heart rate, lowering the blood pressure as well as the lung-clearing effects. And a lotion or poultice is renowned as a wash for poison ivy irritation – luckily not an issue in the UK, but this can also help with similar rashes.

Harvest the flowers when the oleoresin is flowing just as they flower in their second summer. You can use a bit of the aerial parts too cutting the stem couple of inches below the flower. Dry overnight on drying racks at 40C or in an airing cupboard.

For a tea use 1-2 teaspoons of the chopped and dried aerial parts and flowers in a cup of hot water infused for 15 minutes. Add some fennel seeds to balance the bitterness.

For a tincture make a 1:5@60% alcohol.

For a syrup make with herbs such as thyme, elecampane and elderberries.

Here’s how to make a poultice.

And here’s how to make herbal honey.